Overcoming Fears

The thought of making a soufflé has always terrified me. But once you make one, you realize that they really aren't that difficult! In fact, they are quite easy. The only even slightly difficult part is beating the egg whites to a stiff peak. And once you get that part down, you are good to go. This soufflé recipe took about 15 minutes to put together and 45 to bake, so it can definitely be done for a special weeknight dinner. We paired it with a salad and homemade bread.

Ricotta and Pesto Souffle (The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest, Mollie Katzen)

a little melted butter and grated parmesan for the soufflé dish

1 lb. (2 cups) ricotta cheese

6 eggs, separated and at room temperature

2 Tbs. unbleached white flour

1/2 tsp. salt

lots of fresh black pepper

1/3 cup grated parmesan

1 cup pesto [homemade or store-bought]

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly brush a 2-quart souffle dish with melted butter, and sprinkle it with grated parmesan.

2. Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl. Add all, some, or none of the egg yolks, the flour, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup parmesan, and the pesto. Beat with a whisk until well combined.

3. Place the egg whites in a separate large bowl, and beat until they form stiff peaks. Gently but persuasively fold the beaten whites into the ricotta mixture. Use a firm rubber spatula, and turn the bowl as you fold. Transfer the batter into the prepared soufflé dish.

4. Without a moment's hesitation, place the soufflé into the oven, and reduce the temperature to 350. Let it bake undisturbed for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Super-natural Supper

I am lucky to have gotten two cookbooks for my birthday. The first was Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry in the previous post, and the second was Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson from my sister. Both of these authors/chefs are local to the Bay Area, which is pretty awesome. These recipes from Super Natural Every Day are also awesome, especially the salad. I think I could eat this salad once a week easily. The quinoa patties were also delicious, but needed a bit of hot sauce to make them fantastic (but that's easy enough). Combined into one meal, these two dishes are a perfect and healthful dinner.

Yellow Split Peas and Greens (Super Natural Every Day, Heidi Swanson)

1 1/2 cups / 10.5 oz / 300 g dried split yellow peas, rinsed and picked over

fine-grain sea salt

1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g pepitas, toasted

1 cup / .5 oz / 15 g lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems

1/3 cup / .5 oz / 15 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 small serrano chile, mostly seeded and deveined

2/3 cup / 160 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 large handfuls mixed salad greens

1. Bring 5 cups / 1.25 liters water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the yellow split peas and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and salt to taste. Make the cilantro pesto by communing one-third of the toasted pepitas, the cilantro, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, a splash of the olive oil, and the chile and blend with an immersion blender (or in a food processor or standard blender) until smooth. Continue blending as you gradually drizzle in the olive oil, until the pesto comes together into a vibrant green sauce. Taste and add a pinch or two of salt, if needed.

2. In a large bowl, toss the yellow split peas and remaining pepitas with two-thirds of the pesto. Keep tossing until everything is coated. Add the salad greens and gently toss again. Taste and add more pesto, if needed. You'll have a bit of extra pesto, which can be used to refresh any leftovers.

Little Quinoa Patties (Super Natural Every Day, Heidi Swanson)

2 1/2 cups / 12 oz / 340 g cooked quinoa, at room temperature

4 large eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt

1/3 cup / .5 oz / 15 g finely chopped fresh chives

1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup / .5 oz / 15 g freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed

water, if needed

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter

1. Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch / 2.5 cm thick patties. I err on the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, but you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture.

2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add 6 patties, if they'll fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Alternatively, the quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days; you can cook patties to order, if you prefer.